Some tough 2015 OOC schedules in the PFL

[VULB#62]

Some (selected) impressive scheduling among PFL teams at the beginning of the season

9/3
Valpo - EKU (OVC)

9/6
USD plays FBS San Diego State University 
Morehead vs. James Madison (CAA)
Jacksonville vs. Delaware (CAA)
Butler at Indiana State (MVC) -- then they play D-III Franklin and Taylor in successive weeks.

9/12
Drake at North Dakota (Big Sky)

9/19
Drake at South Dakota (MVC)

[covufan]

USD plays FBS San Diego State University 

I wonder how much $$ USD is getting to play this game??

While I like an upgraded schedule for Valpo, I don't see us scheduling Purdue or IU anytime soon.

[VULB#62]

Me neither!   

I'd be happy with just being competitive with middle-of-the road FCS teams (bottom tier MVC, OVC, Big Sky, NEC teams) and dominating NAIA, D-II or D-III teams should they somehow find their way onto the schedule in the future.

[valpopal]

Montana has just announced they will host Valpo in the 2017 OOC schedule. http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/football/griz-football-um-adds-oregon-fcs-schools-to-future-schedule/article_042d33b9-bb86-5dd7-bff9-4683c8c1d158.html

[bbtds]

Montana has just announced they will host Valpo in the 2017 OOC schedule. http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/football/griz-football-um-adds-oregon-fcs-schools-to-future-schedule/article_042d33b9-bb86-5dd7-bff9-4683c8c1d158.html

Montana in September. Let's hope the snow isn't falling early in 2017. As far as our chances of beating the Grizzlies there won't be much but if this Valpo team keeps on improving the Crusaders will not get beat by 50 or more either.

[VULB#62]

Montana is beautiful in September. In the first week of the month it could be in the 80s. The Grizzlies have been FCS national champs and are always in the top 10 in the polls. I would have preferred Montana State because my daughter's family lives in Bozeman, but Mizzoula is only 2 hrs west so I'm excited. It would be a spectacular trip for VU fans -- the mountains are as grand if not grander than Colorado and If you fly into Bozeman, Yellowstone is just 90 minutes south.

[FGColonel]

Montana is beautiful in September. In the first week of the month it could be in the 80s.

Definitely better than a hot steamy Kentucky in late August.

[VU2624]

Montana is beautiful in September. In the first week of the month it could be in the 80s.

Definitely better than a hot steamy Kentucky in late August.

The EKU game is in the first week of Sept but Montana is a bit better I'd suspect.

[valpochgo]

I'd still like to see a PFL/IVY League challenge just like the ACC/Big Ten does in basketball.

[valpotx]

Sweet!  I am going to incorporate my yearly trip to Polson, MT (West of Missoula) with seeing Valpo football get whooped by the Grizzlies.  I usually go in August, but will have to make a September trip in 2017!

[Dojan123]

Just started following Valpo football. I live in the South. I hear the games are streamed. Are the games going to be streamed from the main Valpo Web site?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[VULB#62]

Welcome Dojan.  You'll enjoy participating in this forum and its various topics in addition to football.

Bookmark the Valpo Athletics web site and check for pre-game information on streamed games.  Valpo has been pretty good about streaming home games and other times you are pointed to an opponent's site. Can't guarantee that every game will be streamed though.

http://www.valpoathletics.com

[IndyValpo]

Valpo has an Ivy League school in it's future....

Future Dartmouth Schedules (Preliminary)

2016
9/17 UNH
9/24 at Holy Cross
10/15 TOWSON

2017
9/16 at Stetson
9/23 HOLY CROSS
10/14 at Sacred Heart

2018
9/15 GEORGETOWN
9/22 at Holy Cross
10/13 SACRED HEART

2019
9/21 at Jacksonville
9/28 TBD
10/19 at Marist

2020
9/19 JACKSONVILLE
9/26 at Towson
10/17 MARIST

2021
9/18 at Valparaiso
9/25 TBD
10/16 TBD

2022
9/17 VALPARAISO
9/24 at Army
10/15 TBD

[VULB#62]

Yikes, 6 and 7 years out.  Donald Trump will be in his second term     and I may be on life support by then (or not or worse).

Glad we are doing this.  USD and Butler have already played Ivy schools -- it's a good thing for the resume.

[vu72]

Yikes, 6 and 7 years out.  Donald Trump will be in his second term     and I may be on life support by then (or not or worse).

Glad we are doing this.  USD and Butler have already played Ivy schools -- it's a good thing for the resume.

For the record, Valpo played Yale in 1997 with a return game there in 1999.  Perhaps we were the first, who knows.  It is incredible to think scheduling goes on that far into the future.  I suspect it probably happens in basketball and other sports as well...Reminds me of when Valpo ended up playing Houston when they had Don Chaney and Elvin Hayes in 1967 or 68 as I recall.  A total massacre.  The game had been scheduled a couple of years earlier when Valpo had one of their best teams ever and Houston was just so-so.  Stuff happens!

[VULB#62]

Yep, I remember/knew that.  I was referring to recent times, of course.

In 97 we had a 3-7 record and lost to Yale at Soldiers Field only 14-34 -- pretty competitive
In 1999 we were 9-2 with one of the two losses coming at Yale Bowl 2-48    Stuff happens.

Oh, and projecting 6-7 years ahead some more, Dave Cecchini, after winning seasons in '17, '18, and '19, will probably have moved up to be a HFBC at a scholarship FCS program -- maybe his alma mater, Lehigh(?)   

BTW, Dartmouth waited a bit on us.  They are going to Stetson in '17 and will also play Jacksonville and Marist each twice before they play us      I don't think these games are guarantee games like games against EKU or Montana, therefore, the home and away set-up.

[FWalum]

Montana has just announced they will host Valpo in the 2017 OOC schedule. http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/football/griz-football-um-adds-oregon-fcs-schools-to-future-schedule/article_042d33b9-bb86-5dd7-bff9-4683c8c1d158.html

Watched Montana beat #1 North Dakota State yesterday with a great touchdown drive scoring with 2 seconds left in the game.  This was their new head coach's FIRST game.  Can't say that I am looking forward to playing the Griz. 

[VULB#62]

26,400 in attendance and a score with two tics on the clock.  Wow.  The new HC came in from DII and brought an innovative offensive system with him. Apparently it works.

[FGColonel]

Montana has just announced they will host Valpo in the 2017 OOC schedule. http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/football/griz-football-um-adds-oregon-fcs-schools-to-future-schedule/article_042d33b9-bb86-5dd7-bff9-4683c8c1d158.html

Watched Montana beat #1 North Dakota State yesterday with a great touchdown drive scoring with 2 seconds left in the game.  This was their new head coach's FIRST game.  Can't say that I am looking forward to playing the Griz. 

Only time will tell, but going into this season I truly believe we (EKU) will be near the same caliber team as SDSU or Montana this year. If we stay healthy we should field the best overall talent we have had in a couple decades. Keep in mind I am president of the Optimist Club  and usually think we are going to be better than we turn out to be, but this year is just different. Eight returning starters on each side of the ball and really good FBS transfers filling most those three other positions. A good mix of pre-season All conference and All Americans. The couple places we thought were a weakness last year should not be present this year.

















ooptimist club

[VULB#62]

Only time will tell, but going into this season I truly believe we (EKU) will be near the same caliber team as SDSU or Montana this year. If we stay healthy we should field the best overall talent we have had in a couple decades. Keep in mind I am president of the Optimist Club  and usually think we are going to be better than we turn out to be, but this year is just different. Eight returning starters on each side of the ball and really good FBS transfers filling most those three other positions. A good mix of pre-season All conference and All Americans. The couple places we thought were a weakness last year should not be present this year.

Ha!  OK, the gloves are coming off.  Well, we have over 50 untested freshmen in a non-scholarship FCS program.  So there!  Match that!   

[FGColonel]

Only time will tell, but going into this season I truly believe we (EKU) will be near the same caliber team as SDSU or Montana this year. If we stay healthy we should field the best overall talent we have had in a couple decades. Keep in mind I am president of the Optimist Club  and usually think we are going to be better than we turn out to be, but this year is just different. Eight returning starters on each side of the ball and really good FBS transfers filling most those three other positions. A good mix of pre-season All conference and All Americans. The couple places we thought were a weakness last year should not be present this year.

Ha!  OK, the gloves are coming off.  Well, we have over 50 untested freshmen in a non-scholarship FCS program.  So there!  Match that!   

  Very nice !!!You have my upmost respect.  I am not saying another word.  If an upset were to occur,  any future statements would just make it that much worse. I wish your untested warriors the very best.

[VULB#62]

 
Only a few days till kick-off.  Regardless of the order of magnitude of the outcome, our program will learn from it and as they say, "whatever doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger."  Cecchni and his staff, along with the kind of kids he's recruiting (tough, smart -- seems half of them must be engineers), will see to that.  Look forward to continued chats leading up to game time as well as a post-game debrief. Especially would like to hear a comparison (if it's possible given changing parameters) between early season Valpo this year and late season Morehead from last year.

[VULB#62]

Scraped this from the Maroon Nation Forum.  Can see what FGColonel was saying. Jeez.

"So now we have four FBS running back transfers in the Colonel Backfield. Two SEC, C-USA and a MAC. Plus Hopkins. whom I think is really good. I just hope we can block someone this year."

Only time will tell, but going into this season I truly believe we (EKU) will be near the same caliber team as SDSU or Montana this year. If we stay healthy we should field the best overall talent we have had in a couple decades. Keep in mind I am president of the Optimist Club  and usually think we are going to be better than we turn out to be, but this year is just different. Eight returning starters on each side of the ball and really good FBS transfers filling most those three other positions. A good mix of pre-season All conference and All Americans. The couple places we thought were a weakness last year should not be present this year.

Ha!  OK, the gloves are coming off.  Well, we have over 50 untested freshmen in a non-scholarship FCS program.  So there!  Match that!   

[VULB#62]

Just noticed that our Lutheran cousins in Staten Island, Wagner College, who are members of the NEC and three years ago went to the FCS playoffs, played Rice University this past weekend in Houston, losing 56-16.  That's ambitious!

[vu72]

Just noticed that our Lutheran cousins in Staten Island, Wagner College, who are members of the NEC and three years ago went to the FCS playoffs, played Rice University this past weekend in Houston, losing 56-16.  That's ambitious!

I doubt the AD and football coach want anything to do with other Lutheran schools.  First, all (other then Wagner) are D-2 or D-3 with most being D-3.  Second, we haven't historically been very successful and a loss to a D-3 wouldn't help the image much.  We are 1-0-1 all time aginst Wagner with the last game played being in 1971.  Ranked D-3 teams include Wittenberg (ranked 17th) where we are 2-5 all time with the last game coming in 1979, Texas Lutheran, ranked 18th, where we are 0-1 all time and Muhlenbery, ranked 23rd, no record with them.

Moving on the D-2 wouldn't help much either.  The only Lutheran school ranked is Lenoir-Rhyne, at 8th.  I think scheduling Wagner would be a good game and possibly create a natural rivalry.